NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Blue Jackets vs. Jets (March 25)

Blue Jackets vs. Jets Odds

The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a rough three-game stretch and need their goaltenders to play better. In their last three games, they have allowed a combined 16 goals, and that is a recipe for disaster.

The Jets laid a complete egg last night on home ice as they fell to the Ottawa Senators 5-2, but tonight they will look to bounce back from that.

How will this contest play out?

Will the Blue Jackets' Goalie Issues Get Fixed?

If you looked at Elvis Merzlikins' record alone, you would think that he is having a great season. Merzilkins is 22-15-3 on the year, but his numbers have not been what that record shows.

He has a 3.38 goals against average, a .903 save percentage and a -5.0 GSAx, which ranks 85th amongst the other goalies. Merzilkins had a strong start to the season, but he has not been able to sustain that strong play throughout the year.

Joonis Korpisalo has not a better alternative for this Blue Jackets team. He is 7-11-0 with a 4.15 goals against average and a .877 save percentage, along with a -13.2 GSAx.

Whichever goalie gets the start tonight is going to be tested by the Jets forwards due to the fact that Columbus allows the most shots on goal against per game at 35.4. The Jets have a ton of offensive threats in their lineup and if they get open, they will finish against what has been a very weak goaltending duo.

Will the Jets' Offense Show Up Tonight?

At times we have seen this Jets team explode offensively. For example, they put home seven goals against the Golden Knights last Tuesday and six goals against the Blackhawks on Sunday. This team can flat out score goals, but there seems to be off nights where the puck just won't find the back of the net for them.

The Jets have so many offensively gifted players that can control the pace of a game like Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Pierre Luc-Dubois and Blake Wheeler. Despite only scoring two goals last night, all four of these players registered at least a point in the 5-2 loss, and Scheifele notched two.

Winnipeg is averaging 3.11 goals scored per game, ranking 14th in the league, and they should be able to exploit the weaknesses of Columbus' goaltending and team defense. It wouldn't surprise me if the Jets are able to score four or five tonight against this team.

Eric Comrie is expected to get the nod tonight for Winnipeg. He is 7-2-1 with a .920 save percentage and a +6.1 GSAx.

Blue Jackets vs. Jets Pick

Both of these teams are ranked in the top-15 for offensive proficiency. A guy to keep your eye on in this contest for the Blue Jackets is Patrik Laine, who is playing against his former team.

Laine has had a fantastic season, scoring 25 goals and notching 23 assists in just 45 games. He will carry the Columbus offense tonight and the four players previously mentioned for Winnipeg are always a threat to their opponent.

The last time these two teams met, the Blue Jackets bested the Jets on home ice by the score of 3-0, but that was all the way back in November. The Jets are now fighting for a spot in the playoffs and the Jackets have completely fallen off the pace. I see this as a strong bounce-back performance for the Jets and I think they get it done in regulation.

Pick: Winnipeg Jets to win in regulation (-135)